BECAUSE two boxes of official ballots were left in Manila, the transfer of 700,000 ballots from the courier’s warehouse to the Cebu City Treasurer’s Office scheduled on Friday, May 3, did not push through.
Lawyer Marchel Sarno, Commission on Elections (Comelec) election supervisor in Cebu City, said LBC Express had to postpone the transfer of ballots since they are still waiting for two more boxes of ballots.
The forwarding company transported the election materials from Manila to Cebu.
“There are two boxes of ballots that were not included when Comelec Manila shipped the ballots for Cebu. Those will be airlifted and will arrive on Saturday (May 4),” Sarno said.
Comelec has prepared around 700,000 ballots for Cebu City.
The transfer of ballots was moved to Monday, May 6. The CTO will serve as custodian of the election materials.
Acting City Treasurer Arlene Rentuza said they are strictly implementing measures to secure the election paraphernalia stored inside their office.
“As part of the security measures, places where the election materials will be kept are already considered as no entry. The police was already informed about it,” she said.
Police officers have started to secure certain areas of the CTO where some of the election materials are stored.
Last month, some election materials, including ballot secrecy folders, were transferred to the CTO for safekeeping.
Meanwhile, at the Provincial Capitol, Acting Provincial Elections Supervisor Jerome Brillantes said each of the 3,716 polling precincts will have two police officers who will secure the area.
Aside from this, a quick reaction team composed of police officers will be sent out to conduct roving inspection, especially in local government units (LGUs) included in the election watchlist areas such as the towns of San Fernando and Tuburan.
“Hopefully by May 13 and in the days leading to the elections, we will be able to maintain our peace and order situation,” Brillantes said in an interview at the sidelines of the final security briefing with the Commission on Elections, Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines on Friday, May 3.
As for the expected influx of some 40,000 passengers at the Cebu South Bus Terminal (CSBT) for the May 13 polls, operations manager Jonathan Tumulak said they will ask LGUs again to deploy vehicles that can transport their constituents to the towns to vote.
“We anticipate May 10 to 12 as the most hectic days. That is why we’re asking the LGUs with available vehicles to help us ferry passengers. We’re expecting an influx of passengers and we want them to exercise their right of suffrage,” Tumulak said in Cebuano.
Tumulak said this will be for May 11 and 12 only.
To ensure that the free ride service will not be abused and used in politicking, Tumulak said they will inspect the LGUs’ vehicles and remove any campaign material they will find.
Aside from this, the CSBT has also tapped the Cebu City Police Office and Cebu Provincial Police Office to secure the terminal’s premises. (RVC, RTF)